Automobile lock



July 27, 1937. A, Ic, MABEE 2,087,982

AUTOMOBILE LOCK Filed July 29, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1. .5x/w05@ C.JVABEE.

July 27, 1937.

v A. cf MABEE AUTOMOBILE LOCK Filed July 29, 195e 2 sheets-sheet 2 3.9 yv 24 l w v 34 Y r jg .36

Lfx/eA/oe 6? M4555.

Patented July 27, 1937 rarest orties AUTOMBILE LOCK Alexander vC VMabee,Villa Park, Ill., assignor to Oakes Products Corporation, North Chicago,Ill., a corporation of Michigan Application .uly 29, 1936, Serial No.93,156

7 Claims.

My invention relates to a lock structure adapted particularly for use onautomotive vehicles for locking operation controls such as, for eX-ample, the steering and the ignition. The invention concernsparticularly a two-stage or sequential operation type of lock with theiirst stage operation eiecting unlocking or release of the steering andestablishing operating conditions for an ignition controlling switch',and the second stage operation eiecting opening or closing of theignition controlling switch.

An important object of the invention is to provide an arrangementcomprising a lock bolt eiement shiftable axially to locking or unlockingposition by a key-controlled means, and a rotatable switch controllingelement, usually comprising a lever, with interconnecting means adapted,when the locking bolt is in its unlocking position, to establish anoperative connection between the switch control element and the'switchso that upon rotation of the element'the switch may be operated foropeningand closing the ignition circuit, and said interconnecting meansbeing adapted, when the lock bolt element is in locking position, todisconnect the switch controlling element from operative connection withthe switch so that the switch controlling element is then entirely freefor rotational movement but without any operation of the switch toeffect the circuit. In other words, when the locking bolt is inunlocking position rotational movement of the switch controlling elementwill be effective to operate the switch for circuit control, but whenthe lock bolt is in locking position the switch controlling element isentirely free, and tho rotati able, its operation willhaveno effecteither to open or closethe ignition circuit.

My invention is shown incorporated in the structure disclosed on thedrawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the lock structure applied to a steeringcolumn which is shown in Y transverse section;

Figure 2 is `an end view of the lock structure;

Figure 3 is a section on plane III--HI of Figure l;

Figure l is a section similar to Figure 3 showing the locking bolt inunlocking position;

Figure 5 is a section on plane V-V of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an inside plan View of the switch terminal supporting cover;

Figure 'l is a section similar to Figure 3 showing a modifiedarrangement; l

vthe plunger outwardly,

Figure 8 is a section similar to Figure 3 showing another modifiedarrangement; Y

Fig. 9 is a section on plane IX-IX of Figure 8, showing the movableswitch element in one position, and

Figure l0 is a View similar to Figure 9 showing the movable switchelement in another position.

Referring to Figures l'to 6, the lock structure shown comprises agenerally cylindrical body I having the cylindrical opening 2therethrough at its left end for receiving the tube 3 which surroundsthe steering shaft l of an automobile, the body being slit as indicatedat 5 so that the material around the opening 2 may securely clamp thetube 3 by tightening of a screw 6.

The body l has the cylindrical bore 'l registering at its open end witha passage 8 in the tube 3, the outer end of the bore being closed ybythe wall 9. Slidable in thel bore l is a lock bolt structure comprisingthe barrel lil and the locking plunger il, a spring l2 within the barrelurging such outward movement being limited as by means of a pin i3in-the barrel i engaging in a channel lll in the plunger, Figure 4.

The steering shaft l has'a bushing l5 secured thereto provided with thehole I5, and when this hole is in axial alignment with the bore l, andthe lock bolt structure shifts outwardly, the plunger il will enter thehole to lock the steering shaft l against rotation by the steeringwheel.V The shifting of the lock bolt structure is controlled'by theturning of a key in the key hole Il of a tumbler lock cylinder i8 withinthe lock barrel i9 secured in the bore it in the boss 2l extending fromthe body i, the lock cylinder at its inner end carrying a cam 22engaging in the notch 23 in the lock bolt barrelA it so that when thekey is turned the lock bolt structure may be shifted to lockingposition, Figure 3, or to unlocking position, Figure Il. The hub 2li hasa radially extending channel 28 for receiving a pin 29 extendingradially froml and pivoted againstlthe outer end oi the lock boltrbarrellil by a pin 30. This pin or finger 25B extends downwardly through alongitudinally extending slot 3l in the body l, the width of the slotbeing substantially the width of the pin so that the pin may readilyshift in the slot when the lock bolt structure It is reciprocated. Theslot 3l terminates at its outer end in a transversely extending slot 32which is in alignment with the channel 28 in the switch elementcontrolling hub 26. When the lock bolt structure lil is shifted tolocking position as shown in Figure 3, the linger 2S is displaced fromthe channel 28 so that the switch operating element is entirely free forrotational movement. However when the lock bolt structure is shifted toits unlocking position as shown in Figure 4, the nger 29 enters thechannel 28 and then when the hub 23 is rotated the finger will swingtherewith for operating the switch mechanism to open or close theelectrical circuit, which may be the ignition circuit for the vehicleengine.

The switch mechanism is contained within a sheet metal casing 33 whichengages with its base against the rear side of the body I and has acover 33 of insulating material suppo-rting circuit terminals 35 and 36.An oblong switch block 31 of insulating material engages against thebottom of the housing 33 and is pivoted at its inner end as by aprojection 38 deflected from the housing bottom. At the outer end of andat its inner side the switch block has the longitudinally extendingchannel 39 into which the nger 29 projects. A switch blade 43 is securedinter mediate its ends to the outer side of the switch block, the end ofthe switch blade which is in alignment with the pivot extension 38 beingalways in contact with the circuit terminal 35, and when the switchblock is rotated, the other end of the switch blade will engage with thecircuit terminal 36, the circuit to be controlled being connected withthe terminals 35 and 33. The spring action of the switch blade holds theswitch block against the bottom of the housing 33.

Describing now the operation, when the lock bolt structure is insteering locking position as shown in Figure 3, the finger 29 is withinthe longitudinal slot 3| and displaced from the channel 28 in the hub 26of the switch controlling element, the nger extending into the channel39 of the switch block and the switch block being parallel with the axisof the lock bolt structure. The hub 23 can no-w be rotated freely byswing of its handle 21 but there can be no switch operation- Howeverwhen the lock bolt structure is shifted to steering unlocking positionas shown in Figure ll, the finger 29 enters the channel 28 and the crossslot 32, and then when the hub 26 is turned by upward swing of thehandle 21 the switch block will be swung for engagement of its switchblade with the terminal 33 for closure of the ignition circuit, 'I'hecircuit can now be opened or closed at will by swing of the handle 21but the lock bolt structure cannot be shifted back to steering lockingposition until the lever 21 has been swung to o-pen the switch and bringthe finger out of the cross slot 32 and back into alignment with thelongitudinal slot 3l so that steering lock can be eifected only afterthe switch has been opened.

In order to yieldably hold the switch operating element in its switch onor off position a spring pressed detent 4I may be provided for engagingin the depressions l2 in the hub 25, as shown in Figure 5. When the lockbolt structure is in its steering locking position the switchcontrolling element may then be swung or snapped vback and forth into onor off position but there will be no operation of the switch.

The structure disclosed in Figure '1 is substanstantially the same asthe structure in Figures 1 to 6 except that the hub 26 of the switchcontrolling element -extends a distance outside of the open end of thebore 1 so that the handle 21 is entirely outside of the body I. To lockthe hub against longitudinal displacement, it is provided with acircumferential channel 43 receiving a pin i4 extending through the wallof the body I.

In the arrangement of Figures 8, 9 and 10, the lock bolt barrel I0 has apin 45 extending radially therefrom through a longitudinal slot 43 inthe body I so that the lock bolt structure may be shifted longitudinallybut prevented from rotating. The pin 45 extends into the switch housing41 and forms a pivot for the switch block 33 so that when the lock boltstructure is shifted axially the switch block will shift therewith, andthe shift block may be swung on the pin 55 as the pivot.

The hub 49 of the switch actuating element extends into the outer end ofthe bore 'l and has thehandle 50 whereby it may be readily oscillated.The hub is held against axial movement by a pin 5I engaging in acircumferentially extending channel 52. The hub has a pin 53 extendingradially therefrom thru a circumferentially extending slot 54 in thebody I, the end of the pin extending into the longitudinal channel 55 inthe switch block so that when the hub 49 is oscillated the switch b-lockwill be swung.

The switch housing 41 is closed by a cover 55 of insulating materialsupporting the circuit terminals 56 and 51. The switch block carries theswitch blade 58 parallel therewith and with its inner end in alignmentwith the pin l5 which pivots the switch block.

When the lock bolt structure IB is in its steering locking position asshown in Figures 8 and 9,

the switch block will be held in its inner position with the pivot endof its switch blade in longitudinal alignment with but out of contactwith the terminal 55. 'Ihe terminal 51 is to one side of thelongitudinal path of travel of the switch block and away from the switchblade so that neither terminal is engaged by the switch blade when thelock structure is in steering locking position. Now when the hub 49 isoscillated, the switch block will be correspondingly oscillated butthere will be no engagement of the switch blade with the circuitterminals, and the circuit, such as the ignition circuit, can not becontrolled. However when the lock bolt structure is shifted outwardly tounlocking position the switch block is shifted longitudinally therewithto bring the pivot end of the switch blade into contact with theterminal 53 and the other end of the blade at one side o-f the terminal51. Now when the hub 49 is rotated the switch block will swing to carrythe outer end of the switch blade into engagement with the contact 51for closure of the ignition circuit.

When it is desired to lock the steering and the ignition circuit, thehub 49 is first rotated to swing the switch back to circuit openingposition, and then the key is turned to shift the lock bolt intosteering locking position and to return the switch block for.disconnection of its switch blade from the terminal contacts.

I have shown practical and ecient embodiments of the various features ofmy invention but I do not desire to be limited to the exactconstruction, arrangement and operation shown and described as changesand modifications are possible which will still come within the scope ofthe invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In .a lock structure of the class described, a locking bolt forlocking the steering of an automobile, a switch for the Vehicle engineignition circuit, an actuating member for said switch freely movable inswitch operating direction but without effecting circuit controllingoperation of the switch when said bolt is in locking position,

and coup-ling means effective only when said boit is moved to unlockingposition for coupling said actuating member to said switch wherebymovement of said actuating member will then effect circuit controllingoperation of the switch.

2. In a steering and ignition lock, a locking bolt for the steering, anignition switch, an actu ating member for said switch uncoupled fromsaid switch when said locking bolt is in locking position, and meanscarried by said bolt for coupling said actuating member to said switchwhen said bolt is moved to unlocking position whereby movement of saidactuating member will then effect circuit control operation of theswitch.

3. In lock structure of the class described, a locking bolt, a switch,an actuating member for said switch free to be moved but operativelydisconnected 'from said switch when said lock bolt is in lockingposition, and means eiective when said lock bolt is moved to unlockingposition for establishing operative connection between said actuatingmember and switch.

4. In lock structure of the class described, a locking bolt, a switch,an actuating member for said switch movable in a fixed path, andcoupling means controlled by the movement of said locking bolt to couplesaid actuating member to said switch whereby said switch may be movedwith said actuating member for circuit controlling operation, saidcoupling means being withdrawn from said actuating member when saidlocking bolt is moved to locking position whereby said actuating memberis then free of said switch for idle movement in its path.

5. In lock structure of the class described, a

locking bolt, a switch, an actuating member for said switch movable in afixed path, and coupling means controlled by the movement of saidlocking bolt to couple said actuating member to said switch whereby saidswitch may be moved with said actuating member for circuit controllingoperation, said coupling means being withdrawn from said actuatingmember when said locking bolt is moved to locking position whereby saidactuating member is then free of said switch for idle movement in itspath, and means whereby uncoupling cannot be effected until saidactuating member has been moved to open said switch.

6. In a lock structure of the class described, a locking bolt, a switch,an actuating member for said switch, means establishing an operatingconnection between said actuating member and switch when said lock boltis moved to unlocking position, and means for breaking said connectionwhen said lock bolt is shifted to locking position whereafter saidactuating member may be idly moved without affecting the switch.

'7. In a lock structure of the class described, a locking bolt, aswitch, an actuating member for said switch movable in a xed path, saidactuating member being freely movable in said path but without effectingcircuit controlling operation of said switch when said lock boltstructure is in locking position, and means controlled by the movementof said bolt to unlocking position to connect said switch with saidactuating member for circuit operation control by the switch when saidactuating member is actuated.

ALEXANDER MABEE.

